Exemplary embodiments relate to address books, and more specifically, to filtering address books.
Mobile/portable communications devices, such as cellular telephones, include memory to store contact information. This contact information is typically arranged in an address book (also known as a contact list) and can include name, address information, telephone numbers, and email addresses. Many of these address book systems offer features such as speed dial, voice dial, custom ringtones, and images to enhance the look and user experience of the address book. Address book options allow for various communication methods including voice call, messaging, and email.
In a conventional mobile communication device providing the address book operation, a process of searching and dialing a specified phone number is performed as follows. First, a user executes a menu mode of the portable communication device by manipulating a function button or a menu button provided on the portable communication device, and selects an address book search operation by using a direction button or a numeral button. Then, the user searches for a desired phone number by scrolling the address book using the direction button or inputting a name to be searched.
Many users have multiple address books associated with multiple devices. For example, a user may have an address book for one or more mobile communications devices, home computers, work computers, and game systems. Often, many of the contacts are on multiple address books and the user is burdened with the task of entering and maintaining contact information for each contact in each of the address books. A redundant task that is both time consuming and tedious.
Software has been developed that allows two devices to be synchronized to establish a common address book. This is particularly beneficial for business professionals that use email applications to store contacts for their clients and other important contacts. The business professional may also have a mobile device, such as a smart phone, that combines traditional cellular telephone functions and personal digital assistant (PDA) functions in a single device. Synchronizing the contacts on the computer and on the smart phone ensures that the appropriate contact information is available whenever the professional is using either device. This also eliminates having to enter the same contact information into multiple devices.
People are constantly finding different ways to communicate and network, both socially and professionally. The Internet has made communication easily accessible via email and instant messaging applications. In recent years, networking websites have become popular and are becoming increasingly so. These websites allow people to share information and find others that share similar interests. Networking naturally increases the number of contacts a particular individual may have, thus, increasing the number of address book entries of contacts. This correspondingly increases the number of contacts that a user has to search to find and locate a desired contact.